1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a selective disk-drive apparatus into which a plurality of disk-containing cartridges are either inserted individually, or inserted together using a magazine capable of storing a plurality of cartridges therein. Particularly, the present invention relates to a selective disk-drive apparatus for supporting cartridges within a minimum space while preventing rattling of the disk contained in each cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8(A) is a plan view of a disk-containing cartridge assembly, FIG. 8(B) is an end view thereof, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the cartridge showing the disk contained therein.
The disk-containing cartridge assembly shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) is known as a minidisk MD, and includes a magneto-optic recording-type disk D contained in a cartridge C. As shown in FIG. 9, a circular hole Ca is formed substantially in the center of the lower surface of the cartridge C, and a centering member Dc, constituted by a metallic plate and located in the center of the disk D, is exposed through the hole Ca. A mark M which indicates a disk insertion direction is formed on the surface of the cartridge C. The direction indicated by the mark M (upward direction in FIG. 8(A)) indicates the proper direction in which the cartridge is inserted into a selective disk apparatus. Of the four sides of the cartridge C, the upper, left and lower sides in FIG. 8(A) are all spaced by the same distance B from the center O of the hole Ca, while the distance A between the right side and the center O of the hole Ca is longer than the distance B. That is, the center O of the hole Ca is biased in the direction perpendicular to the normal insertion direction (left-hand direction in FIG. 8(A)).
A turntable T, which is disposed on a disk driving portion of a selective disk-drive apparatus, is provided with a magnet, and the centering member Dc is fitted on the turntable T by virtue of magnetic attraction. The cartridge C is provided with a shutter S which is slidably mounted over one or more windows formed through the walls of the cartridge C. By sliding the shutter S, the windows are uncovered, thereby exposing the lower surface of the disk D through the lower wall of the cartridge C (when the disk is used for playback only), or both the upper and lower surfaces of the disk D through the upper and lower walls of the cartridge C (when the disk is used both for recording and playback).
FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing an example of a selective disk-drive apparatus into which a plurality of cartridges C are loaded, the cartridges C corresponding to the minidisks MD described above.
A housing 1 of the selective disk-drive apparatus shown in FIG. 10 is of the so-called 1 DIN size, which can be received within the mounting space provided for a car radio or the like in the interior console panel of an automobile. A nose portion 2 is located on the front side of the housing 1. The nose portion 2 defines a cartridge insertion opening 2a, and typically includes operating members such as key switches (not shown).
A cartridge receiving box 3 is provided in a rear position within the housing 1. The cartridge receiving box 3 is partitioned by horizontally-extending partition places 3a to form three cartridge parallel receptacle areas A1, A2 and A3.
As shown in FIG. 10, a disk driving unit 4 is located in the housing 1 close to the nose portion 2, the disk driving unit 4 being adapted to move vertically. The disk driving unit 4 includes a spindle motor 4a, for driving a turntable, and an optical head. The disk driving unit 4 is further provided with a transfer mechanism for moving the cartridges C in the horizontal direction (see FIG. 10).
When the cartridge C is inserted through the insertion opening 2a, the disk driving unit 4 is in a raised position, and the cartridge C is pulled horizontally (to the right in FIG. 10) into the housing 1 by the transfer mechanism (not shown) provided on the disk driving unit 4. Next, the disk driving unit 4 moves vertically downward to a position opposed to an unoccupied one of the receptacle areas A1, A2 and A3, and the cartridge C is then inserted horizontally into the unoccupied receptacle area. During a playback operation, a selected cartridge C is pulled out from its associated receptacle area by means of the transfer mechanism on the disk driving unit 4, then the disk D contained in the selected cartridge C is fitted on the turntable and is driven thereby.
As shown in FIG. 9, to allow rotation of the disk D within the cartridge C, a clearance is provided between the disk D and the cartridge C such that the disk D is somewhat vertically movable within the cartridge C. As such, when the automobile runs with plural cartridges C stored in the cartridge receiving box 3, vibrations of the automobile body are transmitted to the cartridges C in the housing, causing the disks D to vibrate against the walls of the cartridges C, thereby creating a rattling noise in the interior of the automobile.
In the selective disk-drive apparatus shown in FIG. 10, the total height of the housing 1 is determined by the standard 1 DIN size. Further, because the disk driving unit 4 moves up and down within the housing 1 and carries the spindle motor 4a and an optical head, the disk driving unit 4 requires a predetermined portion H2 of the total height of the housing 1. Consequently, when the disk driving unit 4 moves to its lowest position as indicated with hidden (dashed) lines in FIG. 10, and the loading or removal of the cartridge C is performed with respect to the lowest receptacle area A1, the disk driving unit 4 is entirely located below the cartridge receiving box 3. For this reason, it is necessary that the height of the box 3 be limited to thereby provide an extra space of height H3 below the box 3.
Accordingly, the height H1 of the cartridge receiving box 3 must be within the height H4 and entirely above the height H3 in the housing 1. As mentioned above, since the thickness of each partition place 3a in the box 3 is large, the height H1 of the box 3 becomes large, and hence a limited number of cartridges C can be received within the box 3. If each partition plate 3a is required to have a thickness of 3 mm or so, then in the case of a minidisk MD type cartridge C, the upper limit number of such cartridges which can be received within the cartridge receiving box 3 is three.